Department of Commerce and Supply Management to ramp up market monitoring

Kathmandu February 16- The Department of Commerce and Supply Management (DoCSM) will mobilise an authoritative market monitoring team from tomorrow across the country.

The DoCSM has trained 172 fresh officers for the market monitoring and they will be sent to the field from tomorrow for the next 15 days, according to Hari Narayan Belbase, director at Market Monitoring Section of the DoCSM.

The market monitoring team will comprise representatives from Department or District Administrative Office or from Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology, apart from security personnel and consumer right activists, according to Belbase.

“The DoCSM has delegated authority to the monitoring team to take action against concerned firm on the spot if they are found to be engaging in irregularities.”

DoCSM has said that the monitoring team has been asked to focus on urban and semi-urban areas. Monitoring of fuel stations has been especially prioritised for the Kathmandu Valley, as Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has started fuel distribution from all the fuel stations in the Valley.

Though NOC has said that supply of petrol has been doubled than the daily demand in the normal times, motorists and motorcyclists have been facing difficulties in getting fuel.